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(No Model.)

W. H ROBINSON MEANS FOR FLUSHING WATER GLOSE'IS..

AN DREN BAGRHAM. PHD'O-UTHQWASNINGTUNADL.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

WILLIAM I-I. ROBINSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN OR TO HIMSELF AND WILLIAM M. TREGLOWN, OF SAME PLACE.

MEANS FOR FLUSHING WATER-CLOSETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 546,679, dated September 24, 1895.

Application tiled December 2l, 1893. Renewed February 21, 1895. Serial No. 539,290. (No model.)

.To all whom may concern- Be it known that I, WILLIAM l-I. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of New York, in the State'of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for Flushing Water- Closets, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement pertains to that class of flushing apparatus in which a quantity of water is held under a pressure of air ready to be delivered when required. I have devisediinportant improvements in the details. I make the tight air and water reservoir, which I will term simply the tank, in two parts, so formed and proportioned that when the airis subjected to any considerable pressure thc water-level rises above 4the joint and immerses, technically drowns,rit. The valve' and an ecient guide therefor can be lifted out and adjusted and reapplied through the tank when the top is removed. I operate the valve by a lever inserted through an orifice connected below the valve, the orifice serving two functions-to allow the operation of the lever, and consequently of the valve, and as a vent to allow the admission of air and permit the ready descent of all the water in the pipe after the valve is closed.

The invention serves by a simple and easy operation for recharging the tank with air at intervals.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and represent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a central vertical section, partly in elevation. Fig. 2 is a section of a portion corresponding to Fig. 1 on a larger scale, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

A is the water-closet bowl, which may be of any ordinary or suitable construction, and B the flushing-pipe leading the Waterthereto in p a tangential or other required direction.

C is the seat, and D a casting properly connected to the top of the pipe B and inclosing the valve and its immediate connections; and E the lower portion, and F the upper portion, of the tank.

G is the supply-pipe and Il isa check-valve, which may be of any ordinary or suitable construction adapted to allow the easy admission of the water to the tank and forbids its return in case of a diminution of pressure in the source of supply.

I is the valve, I the stem thereof, and J an open-work guide adapted to work piston-wise in a truly-bored cylinder formed in the upper portion of the casting D. Near the midheight of the casting D is the seat D for the valve. Below this seat is a lateral extension D2, with an aperture d on its upper and outer end. M is a lever inserted in this aperture and turning on a pivot D3. The inner end of this lever is adapted to lift the valve I by engaging in a properly-formed recess e', vwith liberty to roll sufciently therein as thc valve rises and sinks. To the outer end of this lever M is attached a chain or cord P, on pulling and releasing which, either directly or through any ordinary or suitable connected parts adjacent to the seat, the valveI is raised to allow the water to descend through the pipe B, the water flowing freely downward through the guide J, or is allowed to sink to its seat to which it is directed by the guide J. The air admitted through the aperture d, adjacent to the lever M, allows the water to descend freely and strongly and complete the flushing. My experiments indicate that a smaller quantity of water than usual will be effective by reason of the promptness and force with which it is delivered. The upper portion F of the tank is a single casting. I propose to line it with tin to increase its capacity to retain compressed air. The water received through the pipe G may come from any suitable source which will afford a sufcient pressure, as the street main, a pump, or a tank in the top of the building. If the IOO lower part E is formed by flanges secured by bolts K, the joint F being tightened by a rubber or leather gasket, so that it can be readily separated when required.

The guide .I is a sufticiently-deep ring with radial arms connecting to a hub in the center. \Vhen the Water is shut off and the top F ofthe tank is removed, it is easy to reach down by hand or by any suitable hook and engage this guide and take it with the valve directly out and again replaeeit. After removing the pin D3, the lever M can be readily drawn out and replaced. In all reservoirs of this class the air under pressure is liable to be absorbed by the water. My invention allows this to be effected with great ease. The supply through the pipe G and check-valve Il is of small capacity. The discharge-passage through the valve l and pipe Bis sufficiently large to allow the water to be discharged rapidly and air to rise upward through the same passage to supply its place. All that is necessary in order to refill the tank with air is to pull the chain or cord P, and thus holdthe discharge-valve open a sufficient period. This allows the Water to be emptied more or less rapidly down the discharge-pipe B and air to beinducted through the vent d and rise and fill the tank. 'lhen the valve I being allowed to close, the operation of compressing the air and thestoringof water under pressure ready to be promptly delivered proceeds as before.

Modifications may be made Without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages ofthe invention. Instead ot the detachable joints between the casting D and the parts above and below, it maybe made in one with either or both.

Parts of the invention can be used without the whole.

Other forms of valves may be used, and other modes of operating may be employed.

I claim as my inventionl. In a water closet the tank E, F, having a removable top, the casting D having a truly bored cylinder larger than the valve, a valve seat D arranged below and in line therewith, in combination with each other and with the valve I, valve stem I', and open-work piston J corresponding to the cylinder, adapted to guide the valve and to allow the easy removal of the valve from above when required, substantially as herein specified.

2. In a water closet the air-tight tank E, F, casting D, having the aperture d, a truly-bored cylinder larger than the valve, a valve-scat D', arranged below, in line therewith, the valve I having stem I and open-work piston or guiding ring J matching easily within and guided by the cylinder, adapted to allow the removal of the valve and its stem from above, in combination with each other and with the operating lever M playing in the aperture d, all arranged for joint operation substantially as herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lV. Il. ROBINSON.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES R. SuAnLn, M. F. BovLE. 

